Margareta Kozuch led the way for Germany with 25 points against the Netherlands

Nagoya, Japan, November 10, 2010 – Germany powered past the Netherlands in four sets (25-12, 25-14, 19-25, 27-25) on the final day of second-round Pool F play at the FIVB Women's World Championship at Nippon Gaishi Hall on Wednesday afternoon.

Germany, ranked 15th in the world, advanced to the 5-8 playoffs with the victory that gave them a 4-3 win-loss record. They excelled in all areas against their European neighbours who, though ranked higher in the world at 10th, paid for an uneven showing and finished 2-5 in the section.

Margareta Kozuch starred for Germany, finishing with 25 points including three blocks. Christiane Furst registered seven blocks among her 15 points while Corina Ssuschke contributed 15 too, including four blocks and three aces. Maren Brinker delivered four aces and two blocks and finished with 11. Manon Flier was the centrepiece of the Dutch attack, compiling 19 points while Alice Blom and Ingrid Visser charted 13 and 11 respectively.

Giovanni Guidetti’s Germans came out with great energy and, covering the court impressively against a Netherlands side that had started slowly, they moved into a 12-10 lead. They opened up that advantage and a spike by Furst put them on the verge of taking the first set at 23-12. They quickly closed it out in just 19 minutes, with Kozuch having contributed seven points.

The second set saw the Germans race 11-0 ahead behind some strong serves and well-placed tips. Avital Selinger's Dutch side finally scored on a block at the net by Chaine Staelens but Germany were dominant. Kozuch, the 187cm spiker, was all over the court, excelling with both power and deftness. Flier soared in for a spike, but it was too late as Germany led 24-12 and closed out the set in 22 minutes on a bad serve by Staelens.

Blom opened the third set with an ace and the Dutch quickly scored another point to give them some hope, before Guidetti's team turned around the deficit to go 7-5 in front. The Dutch replied, drawing back level at 10-10 on a nice spike by Blom, then taking the lead on another by Flier. Germany restored parity at 14-14 but the Dutch were back ahead at 15-14 via a poor serve by Brinker. And although Kozuch's block put Germany back ahead at 16-15, the Dutch ran off five of the next seven points to go 21-17 up and provide the springboard to take the set.

The Dutch grabbed a 5-1 lead in the fourth set but Germany soon responded. Ssuschke made a fine block on a spike by Flier to narrow the gap at 7-5, then a Kozuch spike tied the score at 11-all. For a period the Netherlands looked on their way to evening the match at two sets apiece only for Germany to come back and earn a match point at 24-23. The Dutch survived and then earned a set-point with an ace by Caroline Wensink. However, they could not take their chance and Germany took the final two points and the match.